Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-01-01
THE CHRISTMAS ROSE.


Rh@tian Alps, beneath the shade of
an old black pine grew a Christmas
roses The summer had passed,
and the short days had come, when
the wind blows and the snow flies,
and the hardy little mountain rose
had two buds. "Dear me-" fretted
tue rose, If | could blossom when
other plants do. There wonld be
some pleasure in displaying oneself
befor the dainty blue gentian or the
pretty eyebright, but with no ona to
admire me, Isee no use in blooming
at all.r
clio! no ~ laughed the old pine,
waving his shaggy arms, "Ho! no !
what little grumbler The snow
and / will admire you. You are
named after the blessed Christ child
and ought to be happy and contented.
Push up through the deepening
snow, little friend, and expand your
buds into perfect blossoms: we were
all made for wise purpose, and we
shall know what it is when the time
comes ifn-
just then the north wind blew so
hard the old pine was quite out of
breath, and for some reason he
never renewed the conversation.
"All the world is dead except the
pine and me,n murmured the rose,
"and perhaps / had better follow
his advice. If | was made for a
wise purpose / shall not be forgot
ten." So she took good care of her
beautiful buds, and the day before
Christmas the black pine saw her
blossoms, white and perfect, peering
up through the white snow.
Now, the two little children of
Klotz, the wood cutter, were nearly
heartbroken, for their mother was
sick, and that morning the kind
neighbor who had watched by her
side through the night had said,
"GOd pity this home; I fear your
mother will die before night"
Their father sat by the fireplace,
speeches. with grief, and answered
them neither by word nor look
when they crept up to him for CON-
fort. So at last they stole out of the
door, and, hand in hand, wandered
a short way up the mountains side,
following the forester's tracks till
they came in sight of the old black
pine.
off all the mothers in the world
we're dying that hard old pine would
not care" said the boy, bitterly.
" Let us go back into the valley,
sister; there we will find good
people, with kind hearts, while here
there is no one to care for us.n
"There is one who cares for us
even here" cried the sister, spying
the Christmas roses, and in a mo-
ment she had scraped away the
snow and plucked them, We had
forgotten the Christ child, and that
tomorrow is His birthday. Let us
take the roses to the church, and
there pray that our mothers life may
be spared"
So they fastened down the
mountain to the village church,
where they found the good pastor
busy trimming the altar for the
Christmas festival. He took the
flowers and put them. with some
feathery moss, into a tall white vase.
Then he knelt with the children and
prayed for their mothers life, and
the roses nodding on their stems
smiled as though the gifts asked for
were already granted. When they
returned home their father met
them at the door and exclaimed
joyfully, "The fever has turned and
your mother is better, Thank God"
The Christmas rose had fulfilled
its destiny. All, me the black pine
was right. We were all made for a
wise purpose, and we shall learn
what it is in Gods own good time.
*The Christmas rose is not rose, it
belongs to the family Helleboro, black
Helleboro, so called from the color of its
roots. It's large white flowers are pro-
duced in winter, and it grows only in
cold climates. The flowers are white or
tinged with red.
God rest ye, little children but nothing
you alright.
For Jesus Christ, your Saviour, was born
this happy night.
Along the hills of Galilee the white fiocks
sleeping lay,
When Christ, the child of Nazareth, was
born on Christmas day.
Merry Christmas is here, with smile
and cheer,